Alcohol and pregnancy

Campaign Background

The ‘No Alcohol During Pregnancy is the Safest Choice’ campaign was a joint initiative of the Drug and Alcohol Office (now Mental Health Commission), and Injury Control Council of WA (now Injury Matters). This campaign was the first in Western Australia to target alcohol use during pregnancy in the general population.

The campaign messages were based on findings from the Healthway and National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded research conducted by Edith Cowan University with pregnant women and women of childbearing age in Perth, which identified communication messages to increase women’s intentions to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.

The key message was based on the NHMRC guideline that for women who are pregnant, or planning a pregnancy, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.

‘No Alcohol During Pregnancy is the Safest Choice’ launched in May 2012 and was in-market until July 2013.

Key messages

No alcohol during pregnancy is the safest choice. 

Target audience

Primary

• Western Australian women of child-bearing age.

Secondary

• Western Australia general community aged 25 to 54 years.

Campaign objectives

1. If you are pregnant you should reduce your alcohol intake, with abstinence as the primary goal.
2. Alcohol consumption is something that (most) pregnant women can control and that reduction or abstinence from alcohol will support the health of the pregnancy and baby.
3. No alcohol during pregnancy is the safest option.
4. Challenge the belief that ‘a couple of drinks every now and then’ are risk-free.
5. Potential risk to the fetus increases with the amount and frequency alcohol is consumed. There is even a risk of harm to the fetus when a woman doesn’t feel drunk.
6. Alcohol consumption is related to negative short-term and long-term effects for the pregnancy and fetus.